


Candyman

by Daegaer



Series: Pretend to be Human [28]
Category: Saiyuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Androids, Friendship, M/M, Medication, Partial Mind Control, Science Fiction, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-06
Updated: 2020-08-06
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:00:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28452036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Gojyo considers Goku.
Relationships: Cho Hakkai/Sha Gojyo
Series: Pretend to be Human [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1152416
Kudos: 12





	Candyman

Goku was up already. It was unusual, but much more efficient than needing to drag him from under the covers as Gojyo normally did. He bounced up from the floor, where he'd been doing push-ups and shoved sweat-damp hair out of his eyes.

"I'll be dressed soon, Gojyo. I thought I'd read for a bit first before Sanzo sees me and tells me I'm addicted to trash."

Gojyo nodded. " _You. Need. To. Cull. Your. Collection. The. Jeep. Is. Full. Of. Those. Things. Are. You. Finished. With. That?_ "

He reached for the book on the floor by Goku's bed. It was tatty and dog-eared, and obviously wasn't the one Goku was reading right then, which was open face down on the coverlet. Goku swooped in and grabbed it before Gojyo had more than a chance to see an image of what he presumed was meant to be a male-appearance android wearing very brief swim-wear clutching a human girl wearing an equally skimpy costume to its chest.

"I'm not finished this!"

" _You'll. Rot. Your. Brain,_ " Gojyo said. " _As. Well. As. Everything. Else._ " He laughed at Goku's expression. " _What? I've. Chased. Novices. Out. Of. The. Long. Grass. More. Than. Once. Anyway. You. Do. Know. How. Androids. Swim. Don't. You?_ "

"How?" Goku said suspiciously, keeping a tight hold on his book.

" _We. Sink. And. Walk. Along. The. Bottom._ "

Goku grinned and picked up the previous day's clothes from where he'd dumped them beside the bed, pulling on the tunic. Gojyo decided that what Hakkai hadn't seen wouldn't hurt him, and went to check that Sanzo had everything he needed downstairs. Hakkai, he thought and felt his mood simulator fluctuate. Hakkai had been so normal over the last day and a half. Maybe telling his story was what had allowed that. If only he hadn't told it to Gojyo. Still feeling vaguely upset, Gojyo came into the dining room and was pleased to see Hakkai pouring Sanzo's tea, and Sanzo rolling his eyes at the rigamarole. That was all right. That was normal.

" _Can. I. Help?_

" _I've got everything in order,_ " Hakkai smiled. " _Thank you_."

"Is Goku still asleep?" Sanzo said through a mouthful of balep smeared with mustard. "He needs to wake up before noon. When I was a teenager I was always up before dawn."

" _He. Has. Been. Awake. For. Some. Time. And. Has. Exercised. And. Done. Some. Mathematics,_ " Gojyo said. What a liar, he thought. Sanzo had got up before dawn, raided the monastery kitchens and gone right back to bed, claiming he was on the verge of some mystical experience. He sure had, the mystical experience of being the only monk in the place who never saw the sunrise.

"Huh," Sanzo said raising his eyebrows. He had another mouthful of his breakfast. "Anyone would think it's your influence, you're so protective of his good name."

" _You. Instructed. Me. To. Care. For. Master. Goku. Many. Years. Ago. Sir,_ " Gojyo said, wondering if it would be polite to pour tea over the bastard. Probably not.

"Whatever."

Goku saved Sanzo from a tea bath by bouncing into the dining room and grabbing a piece of balep from his plate. He looked askance at Sanzo's mustard and spread a thick layer of berry jam on it before stuffing it into his mouth.

" _Individual bites, Master Goku_ ," Hakkai said in faint despair.

"It is one bite," Goku said indistinctly, as Gojyo busied himself very obviously with bottles of pills. He swallowed the bread, took the cup that Gojyo handed over, tipped it up at his mouth and quickly followed it with a cup of tea. "All gone," he said, handing the cup back and grabbing another piece of balep.

"We need to talk about crossing the mountains," Sanzo said. "Goku? Goku, stop eating and pay attention!"

"Mountains, gotcha," Goku said, grabbing the last of the balep. "Snow, and yetis! Hey, do you think there will be yetis? I bet there will be. Maybe cannibals too. Or cannibal yetis. Should we hunt for food? We could have mountain goat stew. Oh, wait, can you eat that, Sanzo? I heard that sometimes it's OK for Buddhists up here to eat meat, is it OK? I'd better get some more cakes to bring with us, can I have the credit card, Hakkai?"

" _May I have the credit card?_ " Hakkai said, seemingly by reflex. " _Ah, perhaps not._ "

"Fine, I've got some cash."

The door shut behind him before he'd finished speaking. There was silence in his wake.

"Children," Sanzo said, staring into his cup, "are why celibacy is such an excellent life choice." He heaved himself up and strode out. "Goku! Get back here!"

Hakkai neatly stacked the crockery, and stepped away from the table. He looked at Gojyo with a friendly, open smile.

" _Goku's very energetic, don't you think?_ "

" _I. Guess._ "

Gojyo found his arm taken in a firm grasp and he was pulled out onto the veranda. There was no sign of either Sanzo or Goku.

" _Do you think he's taking his medication?_ " Hakkai whispered.

" _He. Must. Be. He. Gave. Me. Back. An. Empty. Cup,_ " Gojyo said. He was so glad he didn't have to worry about sounding unnatural.

" _You're sure? I wouldn't want to think of him taking advantage of your fondness for him and tricking you somehow._ "

" _You. Think. I'm. An. Idiot. Thanks. Hakkai._ "

" _No! It's simply that it's always easier to take people in when they care for one. Forget I said anything. He's just a typical human teenager that's all._ "

" _Yeah. Hakkai? What. Are. Those. Pills. For. Anyway? Nightmares. Right?_ "

Hakkai shrugged and looked away.

" _I have only the most basic of first aid programming. Anything beyond that is gleaned from simply reading books and informational leaflets. I couldn't say how they all interact with each other._ "

Goku was so happy these days. So carefree. Of course, he seemed a bit scatter-brained as well, but maybe that was what happened when you stopped taking all the pills you'd been taking for years. Humans were made weird. He was more like he'd been way back in the monastery, bouncing from idea to idea, from activity to activity. He remembered Sanzo – a kid himself, that was weird to think, looking back - coming to him, looking at the end of his tether, Goku's hand in his, the kid practically whirling around at the end of his arm. _You stick with Goku, you hear me, Gojyo? You never let him out of your sight._ The kid had learned to calm down with him. He was a good kid.

" _Forget. Interactions. What. Are. They. For. By. Themselves?_ " Gojyo asked. " _The. Red-and-white. Ones? Or. The. Round. Yellow. Ones? Or -_ "

" _More than one medication to stabilise the mood, then to bring down the heart rate, to provide sedation, to counteract nausea, to counteract dizziness, to effect hormone production, and an actual multivitamin,_ " Hakkai rattled off, like he'd been waiting a long time to say it.

Gojyo stared at him. He had given Goku his pills for years, from just one pill as a little child to the handful he took now. The kid had always trusted him.

" _Why. Would. Sanzo. Give. Him. All. That? I. Thought. It. Was. For. Nightmares?_ "

" _Sanzo wouldn't do it unless he had a reason,_ " Hakkai said. " _It must be what he needs_." He looked a little abashed. " _By the way, I've replenished our medical supplies as best I could. There are a lot of herbal medications in the jeep now, but I did manage to buy some strong painkillers as well. I won't administer them unless absolutely necessary._ "

" _Yeah. Good,_ " Gojyo said, distracted. " _Sedation?_ "

" _I am not a medical android,_ " Hakkai said firmly. " _And neither are you._ " He stared past the houses. " _Gojyo, is that really Sanzo chasing Goku up the mountain?_ "

" _Yeah. Looks. Like. It._ "

They watched Sanzo grimly struggling up the slope, Goku running ahead, jumping from rock to rock, ignoring what were obvious summons to stop.

" _Humans_ ," Hakkai said in a sad and superior tone. " _Well, as we've been given no tasks I think I shall read some of the classics. You're welcome to join me._ "

" _Sure. In. A. Minute._ "

Gojyo went back in and made sure that the pills were tidied away. He wasn't sure how many there should be in the bottles or when exactly Goku had started successfully avoiding taking them. He'd have to find out and make sure the proper number were discarded. It wasn't just that Hakkai would be able to work things out at a glance, he thought, feeling a hot wash of what he was fairly sure was shame. Dammit, he was exactly as bad as Hakkai when it came to humans and interfering with their medication.

Sanzo would work it out too. And he didn't like to think what might happen then. What would Sanzo do to Goku once he knew he wasn't taking the pills?

Gojyo had to protect the kid.

**Author's Note:**

> Balep is a type of bread often eaten in Tibet for breakfast.


End file.
